Tillamook Community » NWhttp://www.tillamook.com/community/blog
Just another WordPress siteMon, 02 Mar 2015 17:30:12 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.1When to Plant Your Gardenhttp://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/plant-garden/
http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/plant-garden/#commentsFri, 18 Apr 2014 17:00:14 +0000http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/?p=17519It’s so rewarding to eat fruits and vegetables from your own garden. It doesn’t get better than picking them and adding them straight to the dish you’re making (or straight into your mouth!). One of the largest challenges of a garden is getting the plants into the ground at the appropriate time. Too early, they […]

]]>It’s so rewarding to eat fruits and vegetables from your own garden. It doesn’t get better than picking them and adding them straight to the dish you’re making (or straight into your mouth!). One of the largest challenges of a garden is getting the plants into the ground at the appropriate time. Too early, they may face a freeze, and too late, they may not have proper time to mature. If you put your all into your garden like me, you don’t want to face either of these outcomes. Here’s a quick guide to help you know when to get different plants into the ground in the Willamette Valley.

April
As early as April you can be putting seeds for arugula, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, lettuce, and spinach straight into the ground outdoors. These seeds can make it past some of the cool weather still to come.

MayWith the exception of broccoli, cauliflower, and cilantro, all the seeds from April can still be planted in the ground. However, it’s also time to put some starts in the ground. My mother always advises to wait until after Mother’s Day for planting starts, and that’s worked well for me so far! For starts, it’s time to get basil, beans, cucumbers, onions, peppers, squash, and tomatoes in the ground. Although keep in mind that peppers and tomatoes may need to be covered, especially if the weather cools down at all.

June
If you prefer seeding, June is a good time for arugula, basil, beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, corn, lettuce, melons, and Swiss chard.

Good luck with your gardens this summer, and I hope you have some amazing meals with your homegrown crops! If you need more tips, my favorite place get help is Portland Nursery in Portland, OR. They have great resources at their local shops and online.

]]>http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/plant-garden/feed/0How to Keep your Cheese Safe from Bearshttp://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/how-to-keep-your-cheese-safe-from-bears/
http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/how-to-keep-your-cheese-safe-from-bears/#commentsWed, 26 Jun 2013 16:30:30 +0000http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/?p=13433I like camping. I like camping so much that I once walked from Mexico to Canada living out of a backpack, in the woods, for 5 months. One of my absolute favorite things to eat in the wilderness is Tillamook Cheese. Cheese provides the perfect nutrients to fuel a hard-working outdoorsman. One ounce of Tillamook […]

]]>I like camping. I like camping so much that I once walked from Mexico to Canada living out of a backpack, in the woods, for 5 months. One of my absolute favorite things to eat in the wilderness is Tillamook Cheese. Cheese provides the perfect nutrients to fuel a hard-working outdoorsman. One ounce of Tillamook Cheese boasts 110 calories and 7 grams of protein, meaning it keeps you satisfied and strong while hiking, climbing, paddling, etc. The slow-burning fat calories (this is good fat) in Tillamook Cheese mean that if I eat some before sleeping out under the stars, I stay warmer at night. No joke.

You know who else likes to eat cheese in the woods? Bears. Here in Oregon my main concern is keeping my Tillamook out of reach of black bears, but if you’re roughing it in Montana, Canada or Alaska you better keep your stash away from those pesky grizzlies as well. This is easier than you might think, but before you reach for a rope to hang your cheese from a tree with, consider this: a grizzly bear can be up to 11 feet tall, can climb trees and can snap tree branches like tiny tooth-picks. Get the point? “Bear bagging”, or hanging your food from a tree limb is entirely ineffective. Instead, there are three easy ways to keep your food safe from bears that have always worked for me:

1. Use the bear boxes at established campgrounds and never leave food in your car. Almost all established campgrounds in bear country have big steel boxes with bearproof opening mechanisms for you to store your food in. Always use these boxes to store all of your food and any kitchenware that might smell like food. Never keep food in your car, because your car is as easy for a bear to peel open as a can of sardines.

2. While backpacking, don’t sleep where you eat. If you’re out backpacking and covering some miles before you hunker down for the night, cook and eat your dinner a couple miles before you camp. This will keep any lingering food smells far from you while you sleep. If you don’t cook where you sleep, you’re probably safer keeping your Tillamook in your tent than hanging it from a tree.

3. Use a Bear Can. If you’re still concerned about bears finding your secret campsite, you can use a bear canister. Bear cans are basically the portable version of a campground’s bear box, so you can carry your Tillamook in it while you’re backpacking. The can is very difficult for bears to open (though there is apparently a single bear in upstate New York who has figured them out) and is made of a hard plastic that suppresses food smells.

Post by guest blogger, Brett Cassidy

P.S. If all else fails, your best bet is to eat (and enjoy) your cheese as fast as possible:

]]>http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/how-to-keep-your-cheese-safe-from-bears/feed/0#GoNatural with Tillamook Yogurthttp://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/gonatural-with-tillamook-yogurt/
http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/gonatural-with-tillamook-yogurt/#commentsMon, 17 Jun 2013 16:30:54 +0000http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/?p=13355Tillamook is home to some of the most delicious food around—and we don’t just mean cheese! Fruit from our Pacific Northwest is known for its full flavor, size and natural sweetness unparalleled in the country. That’s why we put it in our yogurt. It’s one way we #GoNatural. So what exactly makes the local berries […]

]]>Tillamook is home to some of the most delicious food around—and we don’t just mean cheese! Fruit from our Pacific Northwest is known for its full flavor, size and natural sweetness unparalleled in the country. That’s why we put it in our yogurt. It’s one way we #GoNatural.

So what exactly makes the local berries that go into our Light and Lowfat Yogurt so special? The Pacific Northwest is blessed with climate that produces extraordinary fruit. Our warm summer days and cool, crisp nights coupled with abundant rainfall makes for fertile soils to grow a variety of delicious fruit, including strawberries, marionberries and raspberries. Here’s how some of summer’s best make it into our yogurt:

Strawberries – June and JulyOur strawberries are grown right in Oregon and their tastiness is amplified by our cool spring and warm summer months. The berries stay on the vine and ripen slowly, allowing the natural sugars to increase before they’re harvested and added to our Light Oregon Strawberry Yogurt.

Bing Cherries – June and JulyOur Bing Cherries are found up and down the banks of the Columbia River, blanketing the orchards of the Willamette Valley. Their dark red color and sweet flavor are precisely what make our Light Dark Cherry Yogurt so irresistible.

Raspberries – June to AugustNearby Willamette Valley is the place our raspberries call home. The unique climate here allows the taste and sweetness of the berries to mature slowly and fully. We use Meeker Raspberries in our Light Raspberry Yogurt, which are known for their radiant red color and powerful taste.

Marionberries – July to AugustOur marionberries are ubiquitous and can be spotted throughout Oregon. In fact, the marionberry is the only blackberry native to the West Coast. Their bold, sweet and earthy flavor has earned them a place in our Light Marionberry Yogurt as well as the nickname “The Cabernet of Blackberries.”

]]>http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/gonatural-with-tillamook-yogurt/feed/11The Cultured Caravan Travels to Seattle with Tillamook Yogurthttp://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/the-cultured-caravan-travels-to-seattle-with-tillamook-yogurt/
http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/the-cultured-caravan-travels-to-seattle-with-tillamook-yogurt/#commentsMon, 20 May 2013 16:35:31 +0000http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/?p=13056Look out Seattle! Our Cultured Caravan is once again hitting the road to bring our natural, oh-so delicious Tillamook Yogurt to The Emerald City. We’ll be spooning out coupons, free samples, recipes and more all around town—we can’t wait to see you there! And don’t forget to let us know how your first bite of […]

]]>Look out Seattle! Our Cultured Caravan is once again hitting the road to bring our natural, oh-so delicious Tillamook Yogurt to The Emerald City. We’ll be spooning out coupons, free samples, recipes and more all around town—we can’t wait to see you there! And don’t forget to let us know how your first bite of our natural yogurt is using #GoNatural!

]]>http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/the-cultured-caravan-travels-to-seattle-with-tillamook-yogurt/feed/0Top 5 Things to Eat when Homesick for the NWhttp://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/top-5-things-to-eat-when-homesick-for-the-nw/
http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/top-5-things-to-eat-when-homesick-for-the-nw/#commentsMon, 15 Apr 2013 16:30:07 +0000http://www.tillamook.com/community/blog/?p=12760After being on the road for almost a month and a half already, it’s easy to start missing home a little bit! My cheesy family and I always get together once a week for a “family dinner” where we all make something to contribute. These last couple weeks have been a lot of fun with […]

]]>After being on the road for almost a month and a half already, it’s easy to start missing home a little bit! My cheesy family and I always get together once a week for a “family dinner” where we all make something to contribute. These last couple weeks have been a lot of fun with everyone cooking up recipes that make them think of home!

Potato + Broccoli + Onions + Cheese = Yum!When Tillatastic Ash is missing her hometown of Walla Walla, WA she whips up a perfect recipe to make her feel at home again! Her cheesy, baked Idaho potato, broccoli, and Walla Walla sweet onion dish is quick to make and leaves the belly feeling happy!

Cheese and CrackersIf you’re wondering how I spend my Friday nights at home, it’s usually sitting around a table with friends playing games and snacking on cheese and crackers! My favorite combination is with an array of crackers to choose from and the 3 Year Aged Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar. The cheese is so decadently delicious, I usually just end up using the crackers as a vehicle for the cheese to get in my mouth!

Gluten-Free PastaAlthough ShellBe Sharp can’t have gluten anymore, that hasn’t stopped her from making delicious gluten-free meals that even gluten lovers like PepperJack Matt enjoy! Her favorite dish to make when away from home includes gluten-free brown rice pasta, a little of this, a little of that, and of course some Tillamook Cheese! Her cheese of choice is usually the Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar! To ShellBe Sharp this colorful dish reminds her of Fall in Portland, OR when the leaves are changing colors and the weather starts to get a little cooler.

Grilled Salmon with Butter, Rosemary, and GarlicOne of the perks of spending my Spring in Texas has been the 70+ degree weather on a regular basis! If I were at home this time of the year, I know I would not be uncovering my BBQ for at least another couple months! During one of our “family dinners” we grilled up some salmon with Tillamook Salted Butter, a little salt and pepper, garlic, and some rosemary! It was juicy and scrumptious and reminded me of warm and sunny summers in the NW!

WafflesFood carts have really come into their own over the past few years in the NW, specifically in Portland. One of my favorite food carts to visit is Flavour Spot. They have several cheesy waffles featuring our very own Tillamook Cheese, but one of my favorites is their Sausage and Maple combination! To help me recreate this tastiness on the road I usually add Tillamook Unsalted Butter, maple syrup, and sausage on top of my Texas shaped waffles! While my version is a little different from Flavour Spot’s, it still helps me reminisce of all the wonderful food carts in my hometown!